Apparatus for playing alpha race game



April 22, 1930. F. R. B. wH'lTEHousE l APPARATUS FOR PLAYING' A RACE GAME FedMar'ch 14,

Patented Apr. A22,r 1930 FRANCIS REGINALD BEAMAN 'ATN Fr WHITEHoUsE, oF HAnBoRNE, BIRMINGHAM,

' YInvreLANn 1 v 1 APPARATUS Pon PLAYING A RACE GAME App'ueation mea March 14', 1929, serial No. 347,122, and in Great Britain september' 22, 122s.

This vinvention vrelates to apparatus for playing a race game, thev apparatus being of the kindwhich includes a'reciprocating track upon lwhichmodel horses yorV other movable f5 iguresare placed for the purpose of playing aracegamef' f l In' this kind of ,apparatus it has already been proposed to employa track of flexible materialconnect'ed by'springsor elastic mem-l bers to clips or clamps adapted to bevatt-ached to the edge of'atable and having mechanical means yat the4 opposite end for intermittently pulling the track endWiseagailnst the pull of the springs are elastic membersand releasing it so as to produce the necessary reciprocating motion.A Y n TheV primary object of the present invention is to provide improved apparatus -Whereby a more interestingv game may be played than hitherto. Y

will be hereinafter referred to tis-obstacles The `obstacles are-preferably-- arranged A inY spaced relationship in onevor more 'rows ex-v tending across the track and the obstacles in adjacentvrovvs maybe directly-opposite to eachother or theymay bestaggered in rela- ,tion to eachother.-

In apparat-us yofthe kindreferred to for producing the movement vof the track it has already beenl proposed to use mechanical means. A further 'feature ofthe present invention 'is to prov-ide an open ended oropen sided'box or housing for such mechanical 'means this box or housingbeing adapted to'be placed on the table andfattached thereto pref'- erably by clamps. or clips. "i When usingsuch a housing voneendfof the track necessarily lenters thev housing and'it is a-further lfeaturelofthis inventionito pro- Vv vide meanswhereby the track adjacent this end is retained in the same horizontal plane as theremainder of the track instead of yrising 1n an incline Where 1t enters a housing. i

In accordance With this feature of the present invention the end portion of the track 5 yused on various lengths oftable and in accordance with this part of my invention the elastic connections to one end of the track are 'l provided-'With connecting strips which are perforate'dwitha row of holes While spring n or other clips or brackets are-provided'for attaching to the end of thetable, the said clips yor brackets including upwardly disposed posts over which any one of the holes 'inthe connecting strips vmay be placed yso that the tensiony on the track produced' by the elastic members canbe adjusted Without diii'culty.

' Referring to the drawings j Figure 1 is a perspective View showing one form of the apparatus. f y

' Figure Qis a section ou line 2-42 of Figure l. i'

Figure 3 is afplan vier.7 showing the means for operating the track.V

Figure L is a plan'vieW 'showing a modified form of means for operating the track.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing'one formr of obstacle. L l' Figure 6 is a perspective view other form of obstacle.

Figure isa perspective view other form of obstacle.

Figure 8 is a perspective view'shovvin'g one showing anshowing anofthe clips. f Y v l In the construction illustrated the track 1 may be made of Woven or other flexible mate- Y rial and at its forward or Winning post end the upper surface of the track is provided with. adistance strip ZeXtending acrossthe track. This distance strip may be made of vvood and the continuation or extreme` for Ward end 3 of the track is attached to the upor otherjrigid material'.

At its centre this material is slotted at and engages over a straight sided block 6 so that itisiguided thereby so that Ait can recipro-V cate in the direction of the length of the track. The edges 7 of that part of the track which projects into the box or 'housing con-verge towards'each other. Y Y

Rotatably mounted upon the'guide fixed Ytoy the housing or boXisa-cam wheel=8of hexagonal form having a spindle 9-which projects throughthe top ofthe box 4 where itis rprovided with a crank 10 by which it may Vbe turned. y i j .The spindle) has'. ahead 11 'located inl a recess ina block 6 secured to the bottomiot' lthe box 4L. Y Y

The stiifened parti 3'ofV the track which projects. Ainto fthe box =or housing` 4 ris provided` with, a projection 13 preferably havingan inclined surface 14,i. era surfaceinclined tothe centre lineof the track and I.this projection fis engaged `by the teeth or-cams rupon the rotary .w-heel,- the z-arrangement being such lthat wlienthe wheel is rotated .the cornersA thereon ward-ly very smartly by the springs or elastic.

membersl 15 at 'the other end ofthe track 2so j that. the forward movement of the track A.is

comparatively slow while the backw ar dmovement isaquick `sharp jerk. Y

The under-side ofthe lhonor housingArat .theforward vend of'thetrack is preferablyT provided with a felt orlothercovering ofsoft material so that Sit will notdamage thefsurface of a table and the end of the boxor housing. carries va pair'ofU shaped clamps 1G having screws 17 which-canzbe made. to en gagelwith the under surface of the tabletop Instead-of the hexagonal wheels, a Wheel ofY .ratchet form fas shown'at 2 in Figure i may be used and this Vmay engagewith a curved surface29 Von. ablock 30. attached to the track.

At. :the` opposite end ofl theV track elastic bands 15 or springs are'provided `whiclrare securedto connecting strips 18 each ofwhich has a series of spaced perforations 19 any one ofi'which fis adapted -to .be engaged over the postsl 20of-spring wire clips 21l adapted .to be attached to theopposite edge ofthe table.

, In`V lthe case -of ari-'apparatus intended for n models of horses,;diogs or other objects,.one,

two, threeor morerows of obstacles maybe providedfintermed-i ate the fstartingfpoint and .the finishing' ,pomt` and these obstacles may oiuby other means so that their side surfaces 24 are parallel with the edges of the track.

VInstead of'usi-ng-sm'all blocks of wood or other material for the obstacles the track may be providedwith'a row of metaleyelets 25 as shown .in Figure 7, the eyelets, being .inserted in thematerial of the track .inspaced relationship and in rows extending ;a ,cr,ossA the track. Theseieyelets maybe circular or .of

' any-other suitable fermand itis foundin practice that theyproject above ,the` surface of the .track sufficiently -tocause .the moving object thereon fto beV .delayed .or possibly thrown-` over should thelobject come into contact with them. Y

Insteadof spacing theobstacles in aregular manner as has ibeen described, they .may be spaced irregularly:ifdesiredor the rows may be staggered.

Amy suitable yform Vof gplaying. piece may be used. Model horses 3l are 'showmubut model dogsor vehicles `may beemployed if desired. Y Y

, In anotherlformof. the appara-.tus the track is made of suiicient width to cover the. whole surfaceaor practically thewholel surface-of a table. The meansof, producing-motion may be the same as: that described; andy the elastic connections yat-.the oppositeends-of-the .track may be ythe same. j Y

In f vsuc-'h an arrangement, I however, .the models or vfigures {which ,are raisedfupon the trackfmaytake theform-,ofgsmall model ships or boats andl the obstaclesfmay-.be marked. or shaped and may/take .thefoimof,..is lands either spaced regularly ,or .irregularly upon `the track betweenthe starting-endend .the

finishing end. i v

i Infv all cases the. iin-ish may Abe marked4 by a simple line 264` extending `acrossthe track, or comparatmentsmay be .provided into which the race figures will come tozrest,

.'What I1 claim then is Y 1. Apparatus forplaying, a race game compri'sing a flexible track adapted Vto be laid out upon a support, playing pieces, means for actuating :said track in a'mannerito, causethe playing pieces to travel. along the track. and -a .numbergof rows of=obstacles on -said track which have,` to bepassedfby the playin :pieces during the game, andganopensided ousing adapted-.to :house fthe trackactuating means, an kend part of` said trackfbeing raised above the leveloffthemainpart o flthegtrack'and being adaptedv to y entery thev said ..housing .j and roo having a slot, a projection on said housing adapted to work in said slot and guide the said end of the track, a member on said end part of the track, a rotatable cam adapted to engage said member and cause the track intermittently to be movedin an endivise direction, means for returning said track to its normal position after each of such endvvise movements, and means for attaching one end ot' said track and the said housing to the said support.

2. Apparatus for playing a race game comprising a flexible track adapted to be laid out upon a support, playing pieces,.means for actuating said trackin a manner to cause the playing pieces to Vtravel along the track, and means for impeding the progress of the playing pieces during the game, said track actuating means being associated with one end of the track, an open sided housing adapted to house the'track actuating means, clamping means for attaching said housing to said support, elastic members'attached to the end of the track opposite to the end With Which the said housing and track operating means are associated, clip members adapted tobe attached to said support and perforated connecting strips attached to said elastic member and adapted to be Aadjustably connected to said clips and said elastic members being adapted to retain said track extended and under tension.

3. Apparatus for playing a race game comprising a flexible track adapted to be laid out upon a support, Vplaying pieces adapted to be placed on said track, means associated With one end of the track for causing the track to make a reciprocating movement in a manner to cause the playing pieces to travel along the track, a number of rows of obstacles attached to said track and which have to be passed bythe playing kpieces during the game, an open sided housing adapted to house the track actuating means, clamping means for attaching said housing to said support, said track operating means comprising an end part otsaid track raised above the level of the main part of the track and adapted to enter the said housingfand having a slot, a projection on said housing adapted to Work in said slot and guide the said end of the track, a member on` said `end part of the track, a rotatable cam adapted to engage said member and cause the track intermittently to be moved in an endwise direction, means for returning said track to its normal position after each of such endWise movements, comprising elastic members attached to the end of the track opposite to the end with Which the said housing ,and track operating means are associated, clip members adapted to be attached to said support, perorated connecting strips attached to said elastic members and adapted to be adjustably bers being adapted to retain said track extended and under tension.

4. .Apparatus for playing a race game comprising aftlexible track, an abutment near one end of the track, operating means forintermittently moving the track in an endWise direction, said operating means engaging saidfabutment, a. support for said operating means, clamping means for lixing said support, elastic members operating upon the end of the track opposite to that Where said operating means are situated, clamping means for attached to said elastic members, clamps adj ustably associated With said connecting strips, and playing pieces for moving on said track.

6. Apparatus for playing va race game comprising a flexible track, an abutment near one end of the track, operating means for inter` mittently moving the track in an endwise direction, said operating means engaging said abutment, a support for said operating means, clamping means for ixing said support, elastic members operating upon the end of the track opposite to that where said operating means are situated, clamping means for fixing said elastic members, said track v forming the sole means of connection between said support and said elastic member.

In Witness whereof I aflix my signature.

FRANCIS REGINALD BEAMAN WHITEHOUSE.

connected to Said clips and said elastic mem- .xing said elastic members, and playing 

